Ashlyn Chronicles 1: 2287 A.D. (27 page)

“Sir, there are more transports arriving, and they’ve brought an air escort.”

Novacek knew it was coming. “Yeah, they know what they are up against now. Withdraw all of our teams inside. Have each team leave a pair of flares at their current position. I want them to think we aren’t backing down.”

“Sir?” said the midshipmen before departing. “Why the ground assault? Why not just wipe us out with a long range missile?”

Novacek had asked the question a hundred times himself as well. “You’re right; they have been throwing their forces at us like cannon fodder. It’s such a waste of resources and life.”

“It doesn’t make sense,” said the young midshipmen.

“No, it doesn’t,” answered Novacek. “Maybe it’s arrogance, but if I had to guess, he wants information, prisoners.”

Within minutes, the enemies’ ground forces had taken an aggressive posturing that indicated an all-out charge on both the southern and western fronts. Overhead, fighters made high altitude flybys, running scans to determine their numbers. Novacek assumed the Nephilim were aware of the spiders’ existence; it was the only explanation for why they weren’t using the cover of darkness to get into position.

Within minutes, the attack began. The mountain tottered as the long-range guns pummeled it. The interior of the cavern’s structure weakened minute by minute. Huddled along the cavern walls, the crew fought for every breath. All around them, rocks and boulders of all sizes fell from the ceiling and crashed into the river and onto the cavern floor. It was like trying to breathe through a wall of mud.

Though he was barely inside the tunnel entrance, Novacek could hear the echoing screams of those who were being injured or killed in the cavern below. Nevertheless, he had to wait.

Once the enemies’ attack stopped, he was ready to move. “Quick, bring the cannon out!” shouted Novacek to his team.

Outside, the mountain looked like a barren, burned asteroid. What vegetation there was had been blasted or burned away. The devastated forest below was no better off. The smoldering flames and smoke carried the squalid stench of burned spiders.

As the team set up the cannon, Novacek saw, through the binoculars, that thousands of troops were closing in on the western front.

“Sir, above us!”

Novacek looked up and saw two fighters hovering 300 meters above them. Through his binoculars, Novacek believed he saw an infrared scanner array on the belly of each craft. The hair on his neck stiffened as he realized they were using his heat signature to mark the entrance to the cave.

“Cannon ready,” said Stratton.

“Leave me three plasma rockets. Then get the team and the box of rockets inside!” Novacek set the rockets’ timers for 8 seconds, 6 seconds, and the last for 4 seconds. He could feel the enemy encroaching on them in the rocks below. Kneeling beside the cannon, he tilted its nose directly upwards. A final check on the securement of the legs and he was ready.

Stratton took note. “Sir, it’s going to rain the plasma directly down on you!”

Novacek nodded. “Get inside, now!” Novacek’s hand hovered over the cannon’s launch tube. “Drop!”

He dropped the first of the small black rockets into the tube. Hitting the bottom, it ejected six-hundred meters into the air with a hollow, resonant
whoosh
. He then dropped the second, then the third. Upon the last rocket’s release, Novacek grabbed the cannon and ran for the tunnel. The cannon’s hot exterior burned his hands as he tucked it under his arm. He dove the last two meters, landing inside the tunnel. As he hit the ground, the cannon landed beneath him. A stabbing pain told him that he had broken a rib.

The three projectiles shot into the air, exploding simultaneously.

Novacek rose and hefted the cannon over his shoulder, running deeper into the tunnel. The monstrous firestorm consumed the oxygen in the air, following it inside the tunnel entrance. He outran it by only a few meters.

Outside, it was an inferno. Everything within three kilometers of ground-zero was ablaze. The thousands of alien troops that had been nearly on top of them were now nothing more than screaming roman candles.

Far above, the hovering ships floundered, their hulls engulfed in flames. The intense heat from the surrounding plasma overloaded their shields, allowing it to make direct contact with the fighter’s wings, hull, and cockpit canopy. Seconds later, the fighters exploded, their fiery debris adding yet more fuel to the raging fire below.

“Stratt, when the flames subside enough, go outside and launch a volley of plasma grenades in a circular pattern around the entire mountain. Cover a full five-kilometer range. I want them to think twice before trying another attack.”

Forty-five minutes later, on the bluff outside, Stratton’s team searched the desert below. They watched as an air transport lifted-off, five kilometers away. As it moved to the south, Stratton merely pointed a finger and the two snipers cut loose, slicing a long, clean slit across the vehicle’s hull. The ship burst into flames doing a header to the desert floor.

On the ground, he could see that the attack force was regrouping in a large, sheltered ravine four klicks away. Following his orders, he used the cannon to lay down a massive ring of fire, targeting the ravine first.

***

The suns rode low in the sky behind their backs when Steven’s team rounded a bend in the trail. They froze in their tracks. Running between two opposing mountain peaks, four-kilometers apart, was an immense wall. Like a mirror, the single sheet of flat, clear crystal reflected the sky and surrounding terrain with near perfect clarity.

“Is it a dam?” asked Brummon.

“I don’t believe so,” said Steven.

“Sir, the map you drew for us didn’t display this landmark—yet you wiggled us perfectly through the mountain range—to find this,” said Tomlinson with curiosity. “How?”

“The answer is simple.” Steven pulled a scanner out of his pack, holding it before him. “Tetrahedral constants. This wall is at 19.5 degrees, north of the ecliptic.”

“Of course!” said Ashlyn, a bit surprised that she had not thought of it herself. She looked at the bewildered faces of the team, her excitement uncontainable. “There are hundreds of tetrahedral constants. Some are natural, but the tetrahedral constant has been emulated in dozens of ancient artificial structures. The TC’s carry advanced knowledge within mathematical computations about torsion field physics. Take Giza, or the Teotihuacan pyramids in Mexico or the Cydonia Monuments on Mars. They all have a 19.5 degree connection.”

Steven added, “Even the United Nations Headquarters on the Moon was at 19.5 degrees. That is why they dedicated the Cen-Comm facility to Richard C. Hoagland. He preached about a science that few could understand. He was a scientist with a rare depth of vision. He believed that someone was trying to give us a message through the use of tetrahedral constants.”

Ashlyn, full of enthusiasm, built upon Steven’s explanation. “Yes, and he also talked about how almost every NASA and Chinese mission ever launched had a 19.5 connection. Hoagland called it hyperdimensional physics.”

“Okay, Professors,” said Maria teasingly to the two of them. “A message about what?” Her face blanked.

Steven shrugged. “I think we’re about to find out.” Steven looked at Tomlinson. “I believe the map you found back in the tunnel is far more important than you realize. Ancient Sumerian cuneiform writings depicted the Sirius system as a double tetrahedron, same as the one on your map. To the Sumerians, the double tetrahedron represented a doorway, a gateway to their creators. A gateway to the gods. A Stargate.”

Everyone, including Ashlyn, stared at Steven, stunned.

“Great—how am I supposed to go to sleep tonight—knowing that I might be meeting God tomorrow? Hmm, what to wear?” said Paris. “Ash, can I borrow that chain necklace bikini of yours? Maybe he’s single.”

“Maybe he is, but you’re not,” said Tomlinson possessively, yet teasingly.

Everyone laughed.

***

Next day, the team could hardly watch their steps as they stared at the magnificence of the structure. Steven pushed the team hard, but with darkness fast approaching and the physicality of the climb, the team grew tired. For their sake, he was forced to call them to a stop just one kilometer short of the wall. The team was exhausted, and it took a determined effort for them to even find the strength to unfurl their bedding.

After the others were asleep, Steven and Ashlyn left camp. With flashlights in hand and aided by the light of the moons, they set a quick pace up the valley’s trail.

The wall stood like a great monument, a soft candlelight glow emanating from deep within its structure. Though it begged their attentions, their aroused desires were singularly focused.

Ashlyn leaned her back against the wall, and taking his hands in hers, placed them upon the buttons of her white blouse. She watched his eyes intently, relishing in his lust as he unfastened them.

Her eyes closed, her lips parting as he peeled it back off her shoulders, pinning her arms behind her. She stood as though bound by steel chains, submitting to his touch, to his will, to his bidding.

With a sigh, her head tipped back, her body shaking as he slowly traced her rounded cleavage with a single finger—giving rise to goosebumps.

As he leaned forward and their lips met, he popped the snap of her jeans. A downward slide of the zipper made her knees tremble.

Wriggling against the wall, Ash bit her lower lip, futilely trying to hold onto some semblance of composure—as his fingers touched her.

It was then that Steven uttered the words of his heart, “I love you, Ashlyn. With all my heart, I love you.”

“And I love you. With all my heart, I love you.”

They had not taken note of the rainbow of colors that had come to life inside the wall, swirling around them.

But, the magical words had been spoken, and the gate unto the treasure had been opened.

As their bodies were absorbed through the wall and gently placed on the other side, they stood as they were before, Ashlyn’s back pressed against the wall.

They stood naked, lush green grass beneath their feet, staring at an area that shone with all the beauty of a well-kept garden.

Ashlyn touched the wall behind her, unsure of how they had passed through it. It appeared solid. No seams, doors, or portals.

Together, they stood unmoving, awed by the beauty of their surroundings. The sky was blue, the temperature perfect. The colors were vibrant beyond compare.

“Is this what you were expecting to find?” asked Ashlyn.

Steven shook his head. “I wasn’t sure of anything. I just had theories.”

Holding hands, they walked slowly forward in silent awe through the lush, foliage-filled valley. The valley had all the characteristics of a paradisiac, manicured landscape—each flower displayed as if it were part of an exotic, floral bouquet. Not a single petal lay on the ground, nor was there one wilted or aged. It was truly paradise. A light breeze moved the flowers in a graceful dance, carrying the welcome of a warm, spring morning. The sight and aroma of such pure, unadulterated perfection flooded their hearts with wonder.

A few minutes later, as they rounded a bend in the trail, Ash suddenly came to a stop, her body tensing. “Steven, look!”

Twenty meters ahead of them was a carved, white marble bridge that arched over what appeared to be a narrow but deep canyon. On the near side of the bridge stood two large statues with human-like bodies and facial features with long hair lying on back of their shoulders. Each figure stood about five meters in height and was perched atop a short pedestal that bore ancient symbols on their facings.

Between the statues, a double-bladed flaming sword spun around in mid-air, blocking passage to the bridge. Its slicing motion through the air created a deep, guttural humming sound.

Ashlyn’s grasp on Steven’s hand tightened, unusually so. In turning to look at her, Steven’s heart skipped. Her eyes were glazed, unblinking. “Ash?” Grasping her shoulders, he tried unsuccessfully to rouse her.

“We, the Guardians, bid you welcome, Lord Steven and Lady Ashlyn!”

Steven nearly stumbled as the deeply resonant voices boomed from behind him, and Ashlyn’s legs simultaneously went limp. After supporting her collapse to the ground, Steven spun around to look at the statues.

The flaming blades slowed and separated into two swords, each returning to the hand of a pedestaled guardian. Their eyes sprang to life, glowing the color of molten gold. Their feet shifted on the pedestal, taking an aggressive posture. From behind their backs large wings unfolded, their skin changing from the color of white stone to that of liquid fire.

“Your presence honors us,” boomed the majestic, powerful beings as they bent to one knee, bowed their heads, and lowered the tip of their swords toward the ground in respect.

In waking, Ashlyn clasped Steven’s bicep. When he jumped in response, Ashlyn couldn’t help but smile.

“What happened to you?”

“A search was done of our minds,” responded Ashlyn. “When I sensed it, I projected outwards, touching it. It was so powerful that I guess I fainted.” Without waiting for Steven to respond she continued, “Steven, these are the Cherubim, the angels appointed to keep watch over the entrance to Eden. The
Garden of Eden
. They’ve been waiting thousands of years for us.”

On the pedestals, the symbols shifted their shape, taking the form of written text. “Sumerian?” Steven began to read the words aloud, translating them. “Beyond this portal to Horeb lies the path of life and death and the knowledge of knowing good from bad. Be wise, my children, so that you may attain the Gifts of Eden and be granted entrance into Heaven,” read Steven aloud. “May the Sword of Truth guide you.”

“You are indeed worthy. Your words grant you entrance to Eden,” said the two cherubim in dual voice.

“How could you read that?” asked Ashlyn.

“At the Academy, I majored in history. I loved reading the works of Zechariah Sitchin. I had always felt drawn to it. With all that we’ve seen, and now this—I think Sitchin’s understanding of the Sumerian history was much closer to the truth than mankind realized.”

Ashlyn smiled. “You never fail to surprise me. Come on, let’s go!” Smiling, Ashlyn rose to her feet and took Steven’s hand. Pulling him to her side, they walked between the cherubim whose glowing eyes followed them.

“Steven, when my mind was searched, I met an entity that’s been waiting here for untold ages—waiting for us, his children.”

“His children?”

“You’ll see. All is about to be explained, and the story is wilder than you can possibly imagine. Come on,” said Ashlyn with unbounded enthusiasm.

Every sight in the valley was spectacular, its grandeur unparalleled. They stopped by a stream to watch a flock of tiny birds that had taken flight from a nearby tree in a flutter. Passing overhead, the birds circled once around before returning and coming to rest in a different tree.

“Bushtits.”

“What?” said Ashlyn with a questioning smirk.

Steven laughed. “The birds, their Bushtits. I didn’t make it up. That’s their name.”

“Sure it is.” Ashlyn elbowed him in the ribs.

The familiar sign of life unlocked the floodgates of emotion. “After the attack, I never thought I’d see a bird again,” said Steven. They took a seat on top of a small boulder, Ashlyn held fast within Steven’s arms. The birds jumped from branch to branch, their
churring
song filling the air.

Not ten meters in front of them, a small stream babbled. Steven felt a strong pull to drink of it, and after mentioning the yearning to Ashlyn, she in-turn stated that she too felt the pull. Kneeling at the edge of the stream, they filled their hands and partook of the water. They found it to be cool and refreshing, but it also made them feel different inside
,
as if they had been reborn.

“There are many things here for your pleasure,”
came an aged voice from a small tree to the left of them in the center of a clearing. The tree’s branches displayed a beautiful bouquet of pure-white flowers and even as they watched, the flowers on the tree glowed, radiating a burning aura of light from their delicate petals.
“Approach, my children,”
the entity said in a deep, slow, fatherly tone.

Hand-in-hand they slowly approached the tree.

“My little ones, you are so young and you have so much to learn.”

“Who are you?” asked Steven.

“I am from the most ancient of times—to times everlasting. I have waited for you, my children—and you have come.”

“Are you God?” asked Steven humbly.

“Some have called me God. I have had many names to different people, but you may call me The Keeper, for I am The Keeper of Knowledge.

“For you to fully understand the answer to your question, I must first tell you of the Anunnaki—those who
created
you.”

Steven and Ashlyn sat down on the bed of grass, anxious to hear the revelations that were about to unfold.

“Since the dawn of the universe”
—the tree faded away as a visual replay of the story began to unfold—“
the Anunnaki have traveled through the depths of space as easily as you walk here in the Garden. As they spread their seed through the galaxy, they knew that someday, their children would seek them out, wanting to find their way home.

“So it was, millions of years ago, that when the Anunnaki visited this planetary system, they created me. It has been long, but finally, as they had hoped, you have come here, to Earth. Your presence has brought meaning to my existence. It is through me that you can go home. I am the way and the life.”

“Earth? I don’t understand. We
are
from Earth!” said Steven.

“All is not as you have been told, young one. Millions of years ago, a powerful Anunnaki Lord known as Enlil was given dominion over many worlds by his father, Anu. Enlil was one of the Elite, a pure Anunnaki, born of royal blood.”

A shiver ran up Steven’s spine. Just hearing the name of Enlil shook him to his core. Steven was then shown the image of a tall, human-looking man with white hair and white robes. It was Enlil.

“He chose Nibiru to be the place from which he would rule. It was a radiant world, heated from within, a place of great beauty that reminded him of home. As Nibiru moved between the planets in your system, Enlil visited your world of Tiamat, taking minerals that Nibiru needed to maintain its warmth.”

“Gold,” said Steven aloud. “They seeded their atmosphere with it.”

“Yes, you are correct, Lord Steven. Over many millennia as gold became harder to extract on Tiamat, they decided to uplift one of Tiamat’s primitive hominid species, making a slave class to assist in the work.

“That is how your race came into existence, my children. Much of your people’s genetic composition is Anunnaki.

“However, Enlil did not realize how quickly you were capable of evolving. You accomplished far more than he anticipated, and in many ways, grew to become nearly as powerful as the Anunnaki themselves. That is why Enlil limited your lifespans. It kept you inferior.

“In two-hundred thousand years, you accomplished what had taken them, millions. This is when Enlil’s jealously and hatred for your people began. As the gold disappeared and he found that he no longer needed you, he deliberated on how to destroy you.

“Knowing that he could not directly take your lives, which would be in violation of Anunnaki law, he instead waited, plotting to let a close passing of Nibiru destroy the life on Tiamat. He had the means to protect you, but chose not to do so.

“In opposition to this decision was another Anunnaki, second son to Anu, younger brother to Enlil—Lord Enki. He and their sister, Ninmah, Chief Medical Officer, were very fond of you. It was they who uplifted you using the genes from their own pure bloodline.

“Enki disobeyed Enlil and returned to Heaven, the Anunnaki home world, where before the Council of Twelve he pled for the lives of your people. In agreement, the Council decreed it an immoral act to let an intelligent species die—especially a species which had been made in their own image, from their own royal bloodline, and genetic materials.

“The Council went so far as to embrace you as part of their own family. They empowered Enki to speak on behalf of the Council. When Enki returned with the Anunnaki fleet, he ordered Enlil to vacate Nibiru so that it could be destroyed.

“Instead, Enlil rebelled against the Council’s decision and brought the full power of his armada to bear against Enki. Thus, a great battle took place between those who ruled from Heaven and those who ruled from Nibiru—between those who sought to save you and those who sought to destroy you.

“Enlil’s forces almost prevailed, and it was at Tiamat that Enki made his last stand, holding out until reinforcements from the Anunnaki home world arrived. As Nibiru approached, though it wreaked havoc upon your world, it was destroyed by the Anunnaki fleet. With Nibiru gone, Enki forced Enlil’s forces back, ousting him from your planetary system.